Two years ago, Life Centers put in motion a robust action plan to raise the profile of our centers within the community. Our goal was that any woman that was pregnant and considering abortion would know that we offered free services. We sought out and were blessed with grants that helped us completely update our two websites (donor/supporter and client sites). We also received a grant to replace aging and dated signage at all eight centers, with signs that reflect a contemporary and vibrant look that is warm and appealing to the thousands of clients that walk in to these centers annually. In August, we will begin some new outreach efforts (advertising, etc.) to help us drive awareness of our presence in the neighborhoods where our centers are located.

The next step has to do with the first impression the client gets when she walks in to our center. Much of our centers’ interiors are dated and in some cases, have not had any cosmetic improvements in over 10 years. The reception area is furnished with donated chairs, tables, lamps etc. that may be functional, but the look and feel do not present a warm, safe, trusted and comfortable environment. We were delighted to recently learn that our grant request to fund a complete overhaul/remodel of the reception area in our centers was approved to cover 50% of the cost. We have operated our ministry with a keen eye on efficiency with respect to our donor funds and ordinarily would not move forward on a project like this until we had at least 75% of the funds available. However, because of the importance that first impressions make on our clients when they walk in to our centers for the first time, we firmly believe that this project is far too important to wait and will be putting our trust in our Lord that He will provide the remaining funds to complete the project.

The total project cost to remodel these five centers is almost $28,000 and as noted earlier, we are 50% of the way there. The remodeling will include new floor covering, new ceiling lighting, new furniture, new countertops and fresh vibrant paint that matches our branding. Another important aspect to this is that once this project is complete, all of our centers will have the same look, furnishings and color scheme to further emphasize consistency across all of our centers. Our clients will now be able to walk in to any one of our five Marion County centers and will immediately know she is in the right place as it will look and feel exactly like the other center she may have visited previously.

This is part of a series of blog articles written by Brittany Sherrill for Life Centers.

“They tell you, ‘it’s a simple medical procedure, you’ll be fine and get on with your life,’ and I wanted to believe the lie. But I knew that day as a 15-year-old my life would never be the same.” Walking out of the clinic, Machelle was hit with the weight of the decision she’d made, one she knew could never be undone. She had allowed someone to take a life.

The months following were consumed with trying to forget, but nothing could erase the guilt. Drugs, alcohol, relationships – she wondered if what she did with her life even mattered anymore, until she learned she was pregnant again at 16. “When you have an abortion, you think to yourself, ‘I’ll never do that again. But there I was at sixteen without a supportive family and honestly, I considered it. I considered another abortion, but I just couldn’t do it again.’”

Born a month after her seventeenth birthday, her son became her absolute joy. She was a young mom, but loved her son more than life itself. As time went on, a young gentleman at work started inviting her to church. He would ask people around the office every week and didn’t even seem to mind when people said no – it was weird. But, his persistence eventually paid off, and Machelle and her son attended church with him one week.

Walking in, everything was new, different. The people were nice and appeared so “put together” – and there she was, a young mom with no ring on her finger. At the end of the service, the pastor asked if anyone would like to come and receive Christ as Savior. Already a little nervous, Machelle was stunned when the man who’d invited her turned and asked if she’d like to go forward. Uh – no. No, she would not like to go forward. She went to pick up her son when church was over, and she was greeted with smiles, excitement, and lots of Sunday School papers. At her sweet son’s request, they returned the following Sunday.

Many Sundays later, Machelle was convicted by the gospel and knew she needed to accept Christ as Savior. She fought to sit quietly through the altar call like normal, but couldn’t get it off her mind. Before she could leave, an older couple came and asked again if she’d like to accept Christ as Savior, saying, “We think you might want to receive Christ today.” At that moment, Machelle knew it was God tugging on her heart; she prayed and accepted Christ as her Savior that day. Immediately, all of her sins had been forgiven – even the abortion she’d been trying to forget. Christ forgave it all.

Don’t be afraid to ask loving questions; you never know – they may be one question away from knowing forgiveness in Christ. May God be honored for His redemptive, healing work in this young mother’s life!

Machelle’s story doesn’t end there – God has more work to do through her beautiful testimony of redemption! Tune in for One Question Away: Part Two coming soon.